


we'll take it one hour at a time

by xladysaya



Series: Purge AU [2]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Established Relationship, I tried writing semishira and who knows if it worked, M/M, MERRY XMAS JU, Purge AU, ilu
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-24
Updated: 2018-12-24
Packaged: 2019-09-26 08:57:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,954
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17138819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xladysaya/pseuds/xladysaya
Summary: Shirabu is not the type to worry in most situations, it's simply not part of his personality. However, Semi knows it's different when he's involved, and the last thing he wants is to leave Shirabu biting his nails on the eve of the worst night of the year.





	we'll take it one hour at a time

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kirinokisu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kirinokisu/gifts).



> heh...I told you I'd return to this verse soon lol. Honestly there's so many stories in this verse and it's always fun to write, plus I know it's Ju's favorite so...why not? I hope y'all enjoy, I'll leave my sappy message at the end <3 
> 
> Thanks [EmeraldWaves](https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmeraldWaves/pseuds/EmeraldWaves) for reading this over!

"Do you really want to die in a pizza parlor?"

It's the first thing Shirabu says to him when he opens the doors to his balcony. The air is cold and the mood colder; he can hear the faint sounds of saws in the distance as neighbors either prepare to defend their homes or plunder others. Normally, Semi wouldn't be caught dead outside so close to the Purge, but...he needs to have this.

Goodbye, for now, he tells himself. But for Shirabu, so pessimistic and sour-faced about the whole ordeal, it's goodbye for good.

It's a tired argument, beaten for all it's worth, but Semi refuses to let their potentially last conversation be a fight. Surely, Shirabu must feel the same way.

Maybe that's why he doesn't seem surprised; he finds Semi, as expected, with one leg over the rails and nothing but shock on his face as the drapes from the doors blow out into the wind. The lights in Shirabu's room had been out, so Semi assumed he'd been asleep...

Well, so much for a surprise. All that waiting on the street corner had been for nothing, and all the while Shirabu had been awake and worrying.

Worrying, because whether or not he ever chooses to admit it, Shirabu only does his vulnerable thinking in the dark. No one can see his expressions that way.

Semi is different. Shirabu has long since abandoned hiding much from him, whether it be anger or sadness.

Right now, it's red-blooded rage dipped into the pits of hell. Shirabu's eyes slice him up where it hurts, like both his achilles are giving out, and Semi uses the rail to keep himself from falling to his knees.

For the longest time, Semi labeled Shirabu as something close to a brat. Fancy mansion, rich parents, snooty demeanor. It fit. Only after giving him the reins to his heart did Semi realize how much more there was to him, and how much control he actually had.

Semi can't really complain though. Or, he  _could_ , but he chooses not to in that moment. Mostly because Shirabu is, for lack of a better word, beautiful. And...he's just tired. So tired of fighting with this infuriating, intelligent rich boy.

They'd become a team so fast, Semi almost forgot they used to be in each other's faces half the time. Now it just feels wrong, and he's beginning to think his boyfriend feels the same.

Shirabu's usually neat hair is still at that peculiar angle he likes so much, but it's slightly ruffled, upturned like it's been blow dried too much. Excessive. The word rings in Semi's head.

The clean cut and care in Shirabu's appearance is gone. He's not even wearing his shirt the right way.

Plus, it's inside out. A bit  _excessive_.

Nothing about Shirabu is ever  _excessive_ , or out of place. The systematic and rehearsed way in which he does things is not something ever taken lightly, and over time Semi has found it more cute than obnoxious.

Yes, Shirabu's got his specific routines and borders which Semi has learned to not break, but exist within, and admire. And more than that, Shirabu gets under his skin and goes right for his heart. It's a fair exchange; to be vulnerable with people is not something either of them are used to doing.

But together, the disguises are gone, which is perhaps why Shirabu isn't embarrassed by his disaster of an appearance.

Semi should definitely be worried, but he also wants to take a picture.

He does.

The click of his phone as he raises it is enough to send Shirabu's shoulders hiking further up, and okay...Semi should avoid getting murdered  _now_  of all times.

Especially when tomorrow-- _no_. Not a good time for those jokes.

Not when his palms are clammy from the actual prospect of dying, and when Shirabu is stalking towards him like he's about ready to push Semi off the balcony all on his own.

Again, beautiful.

"Delete that  _now_ ," Shirabu spits, and Semi arches a brow, unimpressed. In the past, his blood would've boiled at the tone, he would've stewed in the resentment for days...

Now, it's endearing. "Anything else?" he asks, because he knows they have to air this out.

As expected, the picture is completely forgotten. "Yes, quit your job."

There it is. The one request from Shirabu he actually has to refuse.

"Mkay."

"Good."

" _After_  tomorrow night." After the Purge.

Shirabu stalls, and it's more than Semi can take.

He ends the statement with a sigh, and his tired mask falls. It's impossible to not let his eyes soften when Shirabu looks so genuinely disappointed like this. Those scathing eyes are so weak right now, swimming with the uncertainty and weakness he despises. The anger is still there, simmering, but stamped out second by second. Like Semi, Shirabu is just as partial to him.

The other tries to muster up a scowl, the barest hint of a glare, and it just collapses into frustration.

_I know, I'm sorry._

He grabs Shirabu's hand without hesitation, and tugs him, begging him to just give in already. It's not Shirabu's way, nor is it Semi's, but in this case...

In this case, this has to be done.

Shirabu takes one step forward, and falls against him. It's the second biggest relief Semi has ever felt, after the time Shirabu admitted his feelings. Shirabu's head rests on his chest, breathing trembling, and Semi tries to be strong.

Between the two of them, he's more emotional. It's just a fact, and not one Shirabu has ever poked fun at, no matter how worried it makes him for Semi's daily well being. Shirabu is like a compact attack dog, and the fact he can't always be with Semi rips him up inside.

It's one of the thousands of reasons Semi wants to marry him. Start a new life, away from Shirabu's uptight parents and their funding of the Purge. They can escape, go wherever they want after a few years of racking up funds and savings.

But to do that, Semi needs opportunities, and what's better than 50x the normal hourly wage? It's a boost in their fund, not much more, but if it means a better life with Shirabu...

He'll do anything, even if he has to fight said boyfriend on it.

So, he lets Shirabu put all his weight on him, and hears every ounce of fear laced in half-assed insults.

"You're so stupid sometimes," Shirabu breathes, but the bite is not there. Semi misses it. This...this is no fun, and he only nods, threading his fingers through Shirabu's unbelievably soft hair. It falls like water through them, light and smelling of mint. Maybe Semi is being selfish too, soaking this up. In case...

In case.

Shirabu's voice fills the night air again, his hands gripping the sides of Semi's jacket. It's dangerous to dwell, with Shirabu's parents so notoriously cruel, but it's worth it tonight. "If you need money--"

Semi ends that train of thought in an instant. "I won't take yours."

He doesn't want to touch any money belonging to Shirabu's parents. It feels wrong, knowing what he knows. Dirty money, stained with blood and tears...

Shirabu has to know Semi would never accept it. It's the reason Shirabu himself works jobs, even when he doesn't have to, just to contribute to their fund.

Semi still remembers the first time he saw Shirabu mowing a lawn, how lost and sweaty he looked. He's got a picture of that too, along with one from the same day, where Shirabu's exhausted form and sun kissed skin looked so enticing, asleep under the shade of a park tree.

It can't be helped, it brings back Semi's doubts. Yeah, Shirabu dislikes the Purge, hates his parents...

But eventually he'll inherit that money. If he stays, he can live a safe, luxurious life. Who is Semi, to take that away from him?

This is all Shirabu's ever known, and as much as he adapts, he's all about security.

As if sensing the worm of insecurity digging into Semi's mind, Shirabu pulls back, searching. Untrustworthy. He hates when Semi gets so in his head like this.

 _"Just say it, you're creeping me out."_ It's a common complaint, one Semi has learned to read much deeper into.

_Stop keeping things from me, let me help._

Semi sighs at the look, the unspoken accusation. He promised he wouldn't leave this balcony upset anymore, no lies...

"Hey..." he says, like Shirabu would ever  _not_  be paying attention to him. "Are you sure you want to do this? It's a lot of change and...we don't know how it'll turn out--"

"Eita, shut up," Shirabu says, like a bullet. It stings almost, but in the best way, the sharpness of it. Ah, so he knows.

Yeah, he always knows.

Shirabu sniffs out the fears from miles away and won't let them grow; he does so in so few words, people always accuse them of being unaffectionate and cold. It's so far from the truth.

Semi's forehead falls against Shirabu's as the other's eyes shine with a fondness only Semi can decipher, a promise.

 _'I want to be with you,_ ' it says, and Semi isn't exaggerating or reading too much into it. Shirabu's hands in his are enough to tell him he's saying that and so much more.

Then, softer, because he knows how to end Semi's whole life. "Alright?"

Normally, that's it, and it's enough. But Shirabu must be more afraid than he thought, because he adds more, like he  _needs_  Semi to understand. "Don't doubt my choices when you're involved."

Semi almost lets it sway him, his heart pulling him in two directions. But not really; his roads always leads him to Shirabu.

"Then don't doubt mine," Semi says, kissing the top of Shirabu's forehead. It's his favorite, because when he looks back, Shirabu's eyes are as wide and innocent as a child's. "This is for us, I promise."

It'll be okay.

He swears he'll survive, if only to make sure Shirabu sleeps easier. If only to see Shirabu again. And if he dies, then he'll fight the devil himself to be brought back. Not even an hour later, not even a second.

God, he hated being this dramatic. What had Shirabu turned him into?

Someone brave, someone committed, at the very least.

And Shirabu, for all his snark and sass, respects him enough to relax his shoulders. He's resigned to Semi's plan, no matter how much he hates it. Those tired features soften with a shake of his head, like he can't believe Semi has managed to win this battle. He should know better. When he's really determined, Semi is a force.

But for Shirabu, he's a contradiction. Powerful and spineless at once. It makes him laugh, impossibly charmed by the least charming person in existence.

Semi brings him closer, and he gets no tension, no resistance. Shirabu just holds him close, like it'll be the last time.

Semi succeeds after all. He won't leave this balcony with the tiniest regret, and he hopes Shirabu feels  _some_  of that relief.

After a while, Semi feels his boyfriend squirm against him, but neither of them breaks the hold. Shirabu sighs into him, endlessly done with the world and all its people, minus Semi.

Or, maybe Semi too. A little.

"Eita?" he asks, and Semi melts. The cold is nothing to him right then, as he hums in response.

But Shirabu is Shirabu, and Semi loves him for it.

"If you die, I'll kill you."

And all Semi can do is smirk as he saves the threat, not to be forgotten.

 

**Author's Note:**

> thanks so much for reading! semishira is actually really fun to write even tho the dynamic is different, I just want to do it again asap, and hopefully I can in 2019 ;)
> 
> ANYWAYS THIS FIC WAS 100% FOR JU, so prepare for the sap. I hope you enjoyed your semishira, and hopefully I didn't butcher it because you deserve all the amazing things in the world, ilu so so much. Your abo kurotsuki fic changed my life with how beautifully it was written, and I'm twice as thankful for it now bc it brought us together. I can't imagine not having you in my life, and everyday we go without talking I miss you so much! You make fandom so much better even when we're in different ones, not just because your writing is an inspiration (it very much is) but also because your love for the characters and for good writing is unparalleled. Plus, you're the best salt mine ever, I love complaining and ranting with you about everything haha. ANYWAYS I JUST REALLY APPRECIATE YOU for listening to me vent about personal stuff and fanfic stuff, and I'm so proud of you for all you've accomplished this year! I can't wait to see what you produce in 2019, bc I'm sure it'll be great <3
> 
> EVERYONE SHOULD READ [JU'S FICS](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kirinokisu/works) BC HER WRITING IS AN ACTUAL BLESSING, PLEASE DO IT


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